Eowyn's Strength Attracts in 'Lord of the Rings'
Life responds to any reversal from weakness or neutrality to psychological strength. One instance of it not only can brings good fortune, such as the sudden elimination of a six-month back pain or a beloved partner finally confessing her love to you, but in the right situation can alter the very course of one's life. The response can go further still and affect the outcome of challenging events for a collective of individuals, such as a family, a community, or a nation. We see a powerful instance of this in the 'The Two Towers,' the second installment of the epic film 'The Lord of the Rings' based on the book by J. R. R. Tolkien. In the story, a band of individuals from a variety of strange and exotic kingdoms have banded together to return to the fires of evil Mordor the one Ring that rules them all to bring stability and peace to Middle Earth. At one point, the dozen or so members of the fellowship are forced to divide into three companies after their mystical leader Gandalf apparently dies in the Mines of Moria. Meanwhile, the soldiers of the evil kingdom of Mordor are moving swiftly across Middle Earth, pillaging the lands to gain control of the entire world. And yet one great kingdom stands in the way of their victory. It is the land of Rohan. Unfortunately, a dark force has taken over King Theoden's spirit, leaving him listless; looking and acting like a corpse overseeing his sullen, desperate people. Meanwhile, at court he is controlled and mentally and physically abused by the poisonous suggestions of his steward, Grma Wormtongue, secretly in the service of the Dark Lord. To make matters worse, the King's only son Thodred has fallen victim to the Orcs, left mortally wounded in an ambush. Now the king's gentle and beautiful niece Eowyn walks the halls of the Great Hall as events continue to deteriorate for the peace loving peoples of Middle Earth. Then at one point, the devious Wormtongue makes a romantic advance on her. Though she is taken in for a moment, Eowyn recovers, remembers what he is, and casts him aside in outrage and disgust. Though he had all the power of the kingdom, and lurked as a threat to her life if she did not give in to his advances, she demonstrates great psychological strength to do what was right, and casts him aside. Walking out the front door of the Great Hall and observing the spectacular valley around her, she realizes that she and her people are indeed in a dire predicament. A few seconds later, three men appear in the distance. It turns out to be one of the three parties of the Fellowship, followed by the great wizard Gandalf the White. They enter the hall, greet the moribund King Theoden, and Gandalf draws out the dark spirit that has overtaken him. In a matter of moments, the king is returned to his old vigorous and brave self. As a result, he decides to have his army join the battle against the evil forces. In a short period, his forces and others prevail over the dark lord that threatened Middle Earth. From the perspective of Eowyn, one small gesture of psychological strength against the romantic advances of the awful Wormtongue not only instantly attracts great help in the form of the three fellowship members, but they resuscitate the king, who now had the wherewithal to raise an army against the dark forces. As a result, he and other kingdoms are victorious over the armies of evil, thereby ensuring the future good future of Middle Earth. This may be a fable, but it is very true to life. One small gesture of inner strength at the right moment in a critical situation can attract circumstance that not only changes the course of one's own life, but that of the collective one is part of -- whether one's family, the community, the nation, or even the world itself. Moreover, if there is both psychological strength and an adherence to truth in the act, as there was the case here with Eowyn, then great inner power is generated that attracts extraordinarily positive circumstance for one's self and the world around us. Category:Strength Category:Case Studies:Life Response